Today, we’re going to a college rowing competition. We’ll take my blimp, so we can get high enough to keep tabs on how the 2 teams are fairing in comparison to each other. From far off, we might be able to tell that there are 8 rowers per racing shell, each operating his own oar.…
Overcompensate Your People
I’m often asked for advice on what to offer new candidates, or on what size performance increase might be appropriate for an existing team member. I tend to respond quickly: “Take what feels right and raise it at least 10%. Or if you can, find out what the person thinks he or she should make, and raise that…
Fear Kills Creativity: Leadership Lessons from Cavemen
The caveman and his family were settling in by the fire for the evening. Father and son had enjoyed a successful day of hunting, and Mom had brought a big stack of wood in from the rain. So the family was fed and warm as Dad talked to his son about the prototype spears they’d…
Shopping for Engagement: Cyber Monday’s Management Lessons
For decades, Black Friday has been a hot media topic every November. The biggest shopping day of the year has evolved into a weekend of jaw-dropping sales, shoppers camped out in sleeping bags, and crowds shoving their way to deeply discounted wares. I won’t even go there. But what about Cyber Monday, Black Friday’s younger…
Back to School: A Lesson in Easy vs. Good
No matter how old I get, colorful trees still get me thinking of back to school. Of summer’s lazy days coming to an end, replaced by the drudgery of classroom life. With September, we say goodbye to the spontaneous, unscheduled days of summer, replacing freedom with strict school bells that order us from one activity…
Impact in Leadership: Try Less, Watch for More
“The one who knows much says little.” – Proverbs 17:27 I was watching my grandson play a video game the other day, and I noticed that periodically, in anticipation of whatever trouble his player is about to confront, he will pause the game and select a new batch of appropriate weapons. Good leaders function in…